Mustang Newsletter

Highland Park Elementary receives additional funding through the state Learning Assistance Program and Federal Title 1. These programs are designed to provide supplemental support to eligible students who are identified as in need of additional assistance to meet the state's academic reading and math standards. Funds provide extended day classes and opportunities to include parents in the education of their children.

Dear Highland Park Families,

As we move into February, we want to take a moment to acknowledge that many families across our community may be feeling uncertainty or concern due to events happening beyond our school walls. At Highland Park Elementary, our top priority—always—is the safety, well-being, and dignity of every child who walks through our doors.

We want to be very clear: Highland Park Elementary is a safe place for all students. Our school follows Seattle Public Schools protocols and long-standing practices that are designed to protect students, honor families, and ensure that learning continues in a calm, supportive environment.

Highland Park Elementary has clear systems in place to keep students safe during the school day:

• All exterior doors remain locked during instructional hours
• Visitors must check in through the main office and are screened before entering the building
• Staff are trained on safety procedures and follow established district protocols
• We work closely with SPS to ensure our practices align with district guidance and state law
• Students are never released from school without proper authorization, and staff do not share student or family information except as required by law. Our role is to educate, care for, and protect student every day.

Highland Park Elementary is proud to be a welcoming, inclusive school community. We believe every child deserves to feel safe, valued, and respected—regardless of background, language, or family circumstances. This belief guides our daily work, our interactions with students, and the culture we build together. Our Mustang Way—Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Fair, Be a Problem Solver—is more than words. It reflects how we show up for one another, especially during challenging times.

Students may hear conversations or sense stress from the world around them. Our staff are attentive to students’ emotional needs and are ready to support them through:

• Trusted classroom routines
• Caring conversations with teachers and staff
• Access to counseling and social-emotional supports when needed

If your child shares worries or questions, please know that our team is here to partner with you.

If you have concerns, questions, or would like to talk with a member of our staff, please do not hesitate to reach out. We value open communication and partnership with families, and we are committed to listening and supporting you.

Thank you for trusting us with your children. Highland Park Elementary will continue to be a place where students feel safe, loved, and focused on learning—today and always.

With care and commitment,

Principal McDaniel
Principal, Highland Park Elementary 💜

If a child is absent, please call our attendance office at 206-252-8242 or email HighlandPark.Attendance@seattleschools.org

Please try and make appointments and/or family vacations during days when school is not in session. All minutes missed add up over time.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

• 7:55 a.m.-2:25 p.m.

Wednesday

• 7:55 a.m.-1:10 p.m.

Please drop your student off on the back playground no earlier than 7:30 a.m. They may go to the cafeteria for breakfast - Highland Park is a free breakfast and lunch school.

Pick up at the end of the day is on the back playground. You may park on one of the streets around the school and go to the playground, or pull into the bus lane and we will bring your student to you.

YSA Corner write-up

Hello and welcome back to Highland Park! My name is Deron Woods and I am the YSA (youth services assistant) at Highland Park Elementary. This is my second year at the school, and I am looking forward to this school year. Last year we started student school announcements and students leading our school awards assemblies. This year we will be adding some more programs to increase student voice:

Student council:

Our student council is focusing on ways to enhance our school culture, and they helped out with our MLK assembly. Look for more exciting projects in the new year.

SEL (social emotional Learning) lunch groups:

These groups will be per grade with a focus on leadership, following the Mustang Way, and being resilient. The month of January we focused on setting goals for the year and students were sent home with a goal planning sheet to help them achieve their goals. Looking forward to these students achieving their goals.

Monthly Mustang Awards Assemblies:

I would like to thank all the families that have come to celebrate with us in recognizing students this year. It helps our students see that this is not just a school but a community. Our assemblies for February will be on February 26, 8:30-9 a.m. for PreK-2nd Grades and February 27, 1:55-2:25 p.m. for grades 3 - 5, and the focus will be on being “Safe”.

Deron Woods

Youth Services Assistant

Highland Park Elementary

Global Reading Challenge

Hello Highland Park Families

Black history month is a time to honor and celebrate the legacy of Black nurses. Their nursing expertise, dedication and cultural understanding have ensured compassionate care for all. I’d like to highlight the accomplishments of Sojourner Truth. She worked as a trained caregiver and later advocated for formal nursing education and care for freed people during and after the Civil War as part of organizations like the National Freedman's Relief Association. She provided care to wounded soldiers and pushed Congress to fund nursing programs.

As always, thank you for ensuring that the Highland Park community stays healthy. The health and safety of students and staff are critical in the school setting. School Staff use this guide to limit the spread of infectious illness. It offers valuable information for parents when their child has a health issue.

• Is My Child Too Sick to Go to School? A guide for parents
• Is My Child Too Sick to Go to School? (English)
• Is My Child Too Sick to Go to School? (Spanish)
• Is My Child Too Sick to Go to School? (Vietnamese)

Take good care!

Nurse Julie – jmmasonsmith@seattleschools.org

Counselor Corner

Kindergarten and 1st Grade: Personal Safety Lessons

Starting the week of February 2nd, Ms. Rykiel will be coming into the Kindergarten and 1st Grade classrooms to teach from the Talking About Touching: A Personal Safety Curriculum for 12 weeks. This curriculum focuses on personal safety in a child’s every life, such as wearing seat belts, crossing the street, gun safety, safe and unsafe touches, and saying “no” to unwanted/unsafe touches,.

Family letters and curriculum guides will be going home in the next few weeks, or through Seesaw, available in English or Spanish. Reach out to me or your student’s classroom teacher if you have any questions!

Lunch Bunch Update:

Lunch Bunch began in January. Permission forms for students chosen to join lunch bunch have been sent out! It is optional—please let me/your child know if you prefer that they opt. out.

Neighborcare Notes

Jayden G J - Jesiah B - Josephine S - Bryan Z - Osman O - Sa'Kye D - Calvin H - Karis P - Solomon M - King P - Eliphaz Y - Luis B

Hello,

I am Priscilla Kang-Rubesh (LSWAIC), a mental health therapist here at Highland Park through Seneca Family of Agencies. I meet with students during the school day to provide a safe, supportive space to build confidence, strengthen social-emotional skills, and work through challenges that may be affecting their learning and/or relationships. Because services happen right at school, students can easily access support without needing to leave campus. If you are interested in learning more or exploring services for your child, please contact me directly via phone or email.

Thank you!

Email: priscilla_kang@senecacenter.org

Phone: 253-993-6216